The Apprentice
by sol-li
Summary: A good deed becomes a problem for Inuyasha when he rescues a young girl training to be a priestess. Infatuated with Inuyasha, Yukiyo begins to try to replace Kagome in the half-demon's affections.
1. The Apprentice Chapter One

CHAPTER  
  
*  
  
"Yukiyo! YUKIYO!"  
  
The young girl at the well dropped her bucket, splashing water all over her bare feet. She clumsily picked it up and ran as fast as she could, through a trickling stream to the edge of the village. The old woman was standing there between two willow trees, waiting for Yukiyo to come.  
  
"Yes, Lady Aiko?" Yukiyo panted.  
  
The old priestess's lined face crinkled into a smile. "You didn't need to hurry, Yukiyo. What were you doing away from the house?"  
  
"I was - was getting water from the old well," Yukiyo said breathlessly.   
  
"Ah, I see. Well, the water can wait for awhile yet. I need to grind some herbs, but my fingers are stiffened. Would you do it, child?" Aiko asked. Her hands were gnarled from arthritis and a lifetime of work, and when it was damp she had difficulty working.  
  
Yukiyo spent the next hour grinding dried leaves to a fine powder. The old woman ventured out of the hut and came back with more firewood. "Having you here is such a comfort, Yukiyo," Aiko said warmly. She dropped some of the firewood into the hearth. "And you're learning your lessons quite well."  
  
Yukiyo glowed at the praise. "Really?"  
  
"Of course, child. Now finish grinding your herbs, and once you've fetched the water, you can spend the rest of the day as you wish." The old priestess warmed her stiffened fingers over the fire. "You've been working hard, and you deserve some rest."  
  
Delighted, Yukiyo began grinding the herbs even harder. Aiko was a kind woman, but she needed help most of the time, and so Yukiyo had little time to herself. She had lived with Aiko for almost eight years now. Her parents had been killed by bandits when they had tried to protect their farm, and Yukiyo had been found huddled in the wreckage of her house.   
  
Every family in the village had been too poor to take care of another child. But the priestess Aiko had volunteered to raise Yukiyo herself, and train her to be her successor. Aiko had been the one to dry Yukiyo's tears, and had taught her everything she knew about herbcraft and demons. There weren't many nearby, but Yukiyo knew that the village had to be prepared if anything dangerous came.  
  
After storing away the herbs, Yukiyo ran outside with the bucket. She barely heard Aiko call after her, "Be careful, child."  
  
*  
  
The old well was set deep in the woods, in a clearing surrounded by trees and streams. Even though there was a well in the village, Aiko said that the forest well was the best. "The water there is purer -- much better for my medicines," she said one day. "It's worth the trouble of getting it."  
  
Yukiyo sat down on the crooked stones and looked down. Then she tied the bucket to the frayed rope, and started to lower it in.   
  
"Well, if it ain't a little wench," a voice called.  
  
Yukiyo froze, and slowly turned around. Someone stepped out of the bushes -- a man, with a dirty, scarred face and a battered sword at his belt. He grinned at her. "A pretty one too. You'd be even prettier if you were a bit older, but beggars can't be choosers."  
  
Yukiyo clutched the bucket like a shield. She wanted to scream, but her voice seemed to have vanished.  
  
"Well come on, little lady," the bandit said, leering. "Or do my friends and I have to persuade ya?"  
  
A second man -- squat, ugly and also grinning -- stepped out of the bushes. A reed-thin one with a long nose followed. "I'll help ya," the squat man said, "if I can have her when you're done."  
  
"Deal," the scarred man said. He took a step toward Yukiyo.  
  
Yukiyo was never entirely sure what happened next. It seemed as though the tree behind her exploded into a thousand fragments, and a voice shouted a word she couldn't make out. The bandits were hammered by the fragments of it -- right before the shattered trunk began to lean and fall. The thin one pointed up at the treetops with a cry. The three men began to stumble away, gibbering and howling like frightened children.  
  
Yukiyo had fallen to the ground when the tree exploded. For a moment, she was too terrified to move. Then someone stepped away from the wreckage of the tree. At first, she thought it was a boy or young man. Then she saw that it wasn't a human being -- but a demon.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	2. The Apprentice Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO  
  
For a moment, the sunlight was too bright for Yukiyo to see the demon's face. Then she heard a voice asking, "You alright?"  
  
The demon stepped out of the blinding light and crouched down. To Yukiyo's surprise, he didn't look savage or evil. Rough, definitely, but not evil. He looked like a boy of about sixteen, dressed in baggy red clothing. He was holding an enormous curved sword in one hand. What really caught Yukiyo's attention was his eyes and hair -- his eyes were golden, and his hair was a pale silver that was almost white. His ears were like a dog's.  
  
"Hey?" The demon stuck his face forward, staring intently at Yukiyo. "You hear me, kid?"  
  
Yukiyo felt her face getting warm.  
  
"Girl, are you hurt?" the demon asked a little louder.  
  
"N-no," Yukiyo said faintly.  
  
Satisfied, the demon stood up and dusted himself off. "If you're gonna walk out here in these forests, you'd better go with somebody else," he said gruffly. "Believe me, it's nowhere near safe."   
  
"Y-yes," Yukiyo said, flustered. She picked up her bucket and hugged it to her chest.  
  
The demon idly twirled his sword around. "Need me to take you back to wherever you live?" he asked.  
  
"N-no," Yukiyo stammered. "I'll be okay. It's not far from here."  
  
"Okay." The demon youth sheathed his sword in a scabbard that looked far too small for it. He crouched down for a second, then sprang high in the air and landed somewhere in the treetops, then was gone.  
  
Yukiyo slowly backed away from the fallen tree. Her heart was beating wildly, even though she was no longer afraid. Who was that? she thought. And why did he save me? Still confused, she clutched the bucket close to her again, and began running back to the village.  
  
Aiko was sitting outside her hut in the sunshine, with her eyes closed and a small smile on her wrinkled face. As Yukiyo ran up, flushed and panting, the old woman woke suddenly. "What is it, child?" she said, concerned. "Has something happened?"  
  
Yukiyo blurted out the story of what had happened in the woods. Old Aiko listened gravely to the whole thing. The lines in her face grew deeper as Yukiyo described the bandits, and how the demon had frightened them away by slashing down a tree. Or, Yukiyo amended, cut it down with his sword -- she wasn't exactly sure. "But he was really brave," she finished.  
  
"A strange story," Aiko said slowly. "I hope that you thanked him, child."  
  
Yukiyo stared down at her feet. "I.... um, no. I was so startled..."  
  
"Well, it's understandable," Aiko said soothingly. "Go on and wash your face. You have had a terrible shock. I shall ask one of the village men to fetch water for the next few days -- surely they will understand my reasons."  
  
Inuyasha flexed his arm, and grimaced. Damn, he thought. I must've pulled something when I scared off those rotten bandits.   
  
Well, at least the girl hadn't been hurt. It had been lucky for her that Inuyasha was within hearing range. He had been strolling back to where his friends were camped, and had suddenly heard snarled threats and a girl's gasps. He had changed direction, racing through the woods, and had opted to scare the bandits off. He could have killed them easily, but he didn't want the girl caught in the crossfire.  
  
But if I smell those bastards again, he thought, I might just catch up to them and teach 'em a lesson.  
  
He landed lightly in the forest clearing where they had set up camp. Kagome was pouring a pot of water over the campfire. "Oh, you're back," she said. "Sango was just about to go looking for you. Did anything happen?"  
  
"Yeah," Inuyasha said, massaging his elbow. "I came across some bandits attacking a girl."  
  
"And you stopped them, right?"  
  
"Yeah." Inuyasha stretched. "She was dressed like a priestess, but she was kinda young. I guess she must've been in training."  
  
"Did you ask her name?"  
  
"Why's it matter?" Inuyasha said, shrugging. "I'm probably never gonna see her again."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	3. The Apprentice Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE  
  
.  
  
"Do you sense any jewel shards, Kagome?" Sango asked.  
  
"There's one somewhere in the area," Kagome said, frowning. "But it's very faint. I think it must be far away."  
  
"Right," Inuyasha said, rubbing his shoulder. Damn, he thought, it still hurts. He noticed Kagome watching him, and quickly stopped massaging his sore muscles. "Just point me in the right direction, and I'll go get it -- and deal with whatever demon has it."  
  
"It's in that direction," Kagome said, waving vaguely at the road in front of them. "But you'd better wait until I have a clearer idea of where it is. No point in running off on a wild goose chase."  
  
"Even if it's a demon goose?" Shippo asked.  
  
"ARE there demon geese?"  
  
"I dunno. I was just wondering." The fox demon flopped down in Kagome's bike basket and stretched. "Is there a village nearby? I'm getting a cold sleeping on the ground all the time."  
  
"There oughta be," Inuyasha said gruffly.  
  
Miroku glanced over at him. "Why do you say that, Inuyasha?"  
  
"I came across a girl in the woods, and apparently she'd just come from some village nearby."  
  
"A girl?" Miroku raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Get your filthy mind outta the gutter," Inuyasha snapped.  
  
"I think it's coming from over there," Kagome interrupted, suddenly pointing ahead. "And it's not moving. It's staying in one place."  
  
"Good," Inuyasha said, cracking his claws. "Makes it all the easier to catch." It had been over a week since he had had the chance to chase down something, and he was itching for some action. Hell, it had been two weeks at least since he had last used Tetsusaiga for anything but scaring off pickpockets who decided Kagome was the perfect target.  
  
A few minutes later, he raced down the road with Kagome riding on his back. It was just one of the hundreds of things that he wouldn't do for other people, but somehow felt perfectly natural with her. "Still straight ahead?" he asked.  
  
"Right!" Kagome shaded her eyes. "It's getting stronger... wait a second, it's moving... moving... now it's stopped again."  
  
A few minutes later, Inuyasha asked, "Has it moved again?"  
  
"Not more than a few feet..."  
  
"What is it, a demon snail?" Inuyasha grumbled. "This ain't going to be a challenge at all. I could probably beat it with my feet shackled."  
  
He leaped high into the air over the trees, looking down at the valley below. There was a little cluster of houses and stables, with little streams of smoke rising from their roofs. He could smell horses, cows, chickens, little kids in need of baths, and plenty of other ordinary village smells.   
  
"The village!" Kagome said. "Do you think that's the one you were talking about?"  
  
"Well, if it is, it's got a jewel shard somewhere in there," Inuyasha said, scanning the ground. He could see plenty of humans milling around, carrying sacks of rice, chatting by the well. No demons in sight. Definitely none on a rampage, as shard-enhanced demons often did.   
  
"This is weird," Kagome said, frowning. "I'm positive there's a jewel shard in that village. But everything looks peaceful."  
  
"Let's check it out." Inuyasha paused, and his eyes narrowed. He saw an old woman hobbling across the road, holding a large basket of vegetables on one arm. She was dressed in loose red and white robes, and had a quiver of arrows and a bow on her back, although frankly she looked too old and feeble to shoot them. "Let's ask that priestess if there's been anything weird going on recently. She oughta know if there's some demon with a jewel shard runnin' around."  
  
"Good idea," Kagome said, as Inuyasha began descending down to the ground.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	4. The Apprentice Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR  
  
.  
  
"The Sacred Jewel?" the old priestess said. She frowned, deepening the deep lines in her wrinkled face.  
  
"Yes, we're looking for pieces of it," Kagome said. "Have you heard of any unusual demons in the area? Like ones that are behaving oddly?"  
  
"I'm afraid not, dear," the old priestess said ruefully. "But then, I'm a very old woman, and I don't get to leave my hut very often. My bones don't do well in the damp, you see."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Kagome said sympathetically.  
  
The two of them chatted amiably for awhile, and once the topics strayed from jewel shards, Inuyasha lost interest. He stretched, then slumped down on a tree stump and stared off into space. He felt a little tired and depressed. Why did I even bother coming if there ain't any demons to fight? he thought wearily.   
  
Then someone stepped around the corner, clutching an enormous, empty basket. Inuyasha sat up, suddenly noticing her. It was the girl that Inuyasha had rescued earlier that day.  
  
"Ah, Yukiyo," the old priestess said fondly. "This is Kagome and Inuyasha. They will be staying in our village for awhile."  
  
Kagome glanced over at Yukiyo. The apprentice was a couple years younger than she was, and maybe a few inches shorter. She was pretty, but Kagome had the feeling that when she was done growing, she would be even prettier. Her large dark eyes immediately went to Inuyasha, and she gave a muffled little gasp.  
  
"Hey," Inuyasha said, sitting up straighter. "It's you."  
  
Yukiyo flushed slightly.  
  
"Eh? What is it?" the old priestess said. "Oh, now I remember. This must be the young man who saved Yukiyo from some ruffians in the woods. She told me about that after it happened..."  
  
"Yup, that's Inuyasha," Kagome said.   
  
Yukiyo's eyes followed Kagome's hand, to where it was resting on Inuyasha's shoulder. It was the sort of unconsciously intimate thing that young lovers in her village did, when they were around other people, and had been in love for a long time. Yukiyo felt her heart start to fall.  
  
"You make me sound like some sort of travellin' do-gooder," Inuyasha growled. But he didn't shrug off Kagome's hand.  
  
"I know you don't wanna be one, but sometimes it just happens," Kagome said half-teasingly.   
  
"Sure. What is it?" Inuyasha said gruffly.  
  
"Could you go tell Miroku and Sango where we're staying?" Kagome said. "I'm going to stay with Lady Aiko to help her out."  
  
"I-I could come with you," Yukiyo burst out. Then she blushed deeply. "It's the least I can do... after this morning." She turned to Aiko. "That is... if it's allowed."  
  
Aiko chuckled softly. "I would never keep you from repaying a debt, Yukiyo. So, if this young man has no objections, you may go."  
  
Inuyasha shrugged. "Why not?" he said, standing up. "Let's go."  
  
Yukiyo could feel her heart pounding as she set down her basket and walked quickly after Inuyasha. He was already striding down the dusty road, although he slowed down a little for her. "You better walk a little faster," he said gruffly. "Or else I'll end up leaving you way behind."  
  
"Yes, of course," Yukiyo said breathlessly. She glanced back over her shoulder, at the girl standing beside Aiko. A little hard knot formed inside her chest, making it hard to speak. "Ah... was... was that... your wife?" she stammered.  
  
"What? Huh?" Inuyasha said. He glanced back -- and then a faint flush came over his face. "Kagome? No! She ain't my wife. We aren't even, um, together." He quickly looked away.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, I always make mistakes like that," Yukiyo said, trying not to sound too concerned. But inside her, the little knot suddenly vanished. She glanced over at the half-demon. His long, shaggy silver hair was shining in the sunlight, and he was standing up straight and tall, staring off into the distance with piercing eyes the color of honey.   
  
Yukiyo's breath caught at the sight of him. She felt dizzy and lightheaded -- but in a good way.  
  
"You'd better hurry up," Inuyasha said suddenly. "Why're you standing there?"  
  
"I'm sorry!" Yukiyo ran after him, and Inuyasha waited for her.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	5. The Apprentice Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

"And who is THIS lovely young lady?" the older man said.

Yukiyo could feel herself blushing again -- but this time with mild embarrassment. Inuyasha had led her to where the rest of his group was staying. He hadn't talked much, but he had told her that they were a demon-slayer, a monk, a kitsune fox, and a demon cat. Yukiyo wasn't sure why a monk and a demon-slayer would travel with someone like Inuyasha. It must be a sign of how special he obviously was.

The monk turned out to be a little older than Inuyasha, with an unshaved dark head and very compelling eyes. The girl next to him was nearly as pretty as Kagome, though she wore body armor and carried a giant boomerang.

"Yukiyo, Sango and Miroku," Inuyasha said, flicking his hand from Yukiyo to the others. "Miroku and Sango, Yukiyo. She's a priestess-in-training from the village near here."

"A pleasure to meet you," Miroku said warmly.

"Back off, monk. She's only thirteen," Inuyasha growled.

Sango's eyes narrowed, and she glared at the side of Miroku's head. The monk pretended not to notice, but he looked uncomfortable. "Really, how nice," he said. "You look much older than you are."

"Well, enough of that," Inuyasha said, waving Miroku aside. "There's a jewel shard in the neighboring village, so we're gonna be staying there for at least a day while Kagome and I track it down. Pack up your things and follow me."

A few minutes later, Miroku, Sango and the tiny fox with them were ready to go. Sango was wearing a skirt now, and rode on the back of a giant demon cat, while Miroku and Inuyasha walked with Yukiyo. She wasn't sure, but she thought that Inuyasha was keeping a close eye on Miroku.

Miroku was handsome, but he was too... too ORDINARY. He was just a human man. Besides, he was a monk. All the monks Yukiyo had met were rather boring, and usually claimed devotion to good behavior and good karma, and she supposed that Miroku was like that too. Inuyasha, with his brash behavior and strangely alien good looks, was much more interesting.

Yukiyo smiled a little. I'm just glad Kagome wasn't his wife, she thought.

"Huh?" Inuyasha suddenly looked at her. "You say something?"

"Uh, no!" Yukiyo said, feeling herself flush again.

Inuyasha shrugged, and they continued their way back to the village.

"Thank you, my dear," Aiko said, smiling. Her round, wrinkled face and kindly manner reminded Kagome of Kaede, although Aiko was much older. She limped over to the window and looked out at the road. "I think I see your young man returning with Yukiyo."

Kagome paused, with an armful of logs held near the hearth. "She seems awfully young to be getting ready to be a priestess," she said.

"She is young," Aiko said ruefully. "Especially in the mind, I fear. I had an apprentice with me before Yukiyo, and she was nearly ready to take my place. But alas, she went to help an old man stricken with a terrible fever. After he died, she caught the fever as well, and died also. So I had to begin training Yukiyo instead."

"I'm so sorry," Kagome said, a little stunned. But I shouldn't be surprised, she thought. After all, not every priestess dies as dramatically as Kikyo did.

She continued stacking firewood and stirring the pot, until a familiar voice called out, "Kagome!" A silver head appeared in the doorway, pushing the screen out of the way. "C'mon, we ain't got all day! We gotta find that jewel shard and quick!"

"Just give me a minute to finish the stew," Kagome said.

"I'll do it," a small voice said. Yukiyo slipped around Inuyasha and moved over to the bubbling pot. "There are a few special spices I always put into it."

"Thank you, Yukiyo," Kagome said, a little surprised that the girl had spoken so many words to her. The young priestess-in-training seemed unusually shy, so much so that Kagome hadn't heard her speak to anyone except Aiko and Inuyasha.

As Kagome slipped out to meet Inuyasha, Aiko glanced at her young pupil. Yukiyo's hands were stirring the pot, but her face was turned to the window. Through it, she could see Inuyasha, with his arms crossed and his silver hair shining in the sunlight. He was talking animatedly to Kagome. Yukiyo quickly looked down again; her reddened face, Aiko suspected, had nothing to do with the fire's heat.

Oh dear, Aiko thought, sighing.

TO BE CONTINUED


End file.
